Michael Coteau
MP
Member of Parliament
for Don Valley East
Assumed office
September 20, 2021
Preceded byYasmin Ratansi
Minister of Community and Social Services
In office
February 26, 2018 – June 29, 2018
PremierKathleen Wynne
Preceded byHelena Jazeck
Succeeded byLisa MacLeod
Minister of Children and Youth Services
In office
June 13, 2016 – June 29, 2018
PremierKathleen Wynne
Preceded byTracy MacCharles
Succeeded byLisa MacLeod
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
In office
June 24, 2014 – June 13, 2016
PremierKathleen Wynne
Preceded byMichael Chan
Succeeded byEleanor McMahon
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
In office
February 11, 2013 – June 24, 2014
PremierKathleen Wynne
Preceded byMichael Chan
Succeeded byMichael Chan
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Don Valley East
In office
October 6, 2011 – August 17, 2021
Preceded byDavid Caplan
Succeeded byAdil Shamji
Personal details
Born1972 (age 51–52)
Huddersfield, England
Political partyLiberal
SpouseLori Coteau
Children2
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma materCarleton University (BA)
OccupationEducator, businessman

Michael Joseph Coteau[1] is a Canadian politician who serves as the Member of Parliament for Don Valley East in the House of Commons of Canada. From 2011 to 2021, he was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the provincial district of Don Valley East in Toronto. He served in the Cabinet of Ontario under Premier Kathleen Wynne from 2013 to 2018 in several portfolios, including Citizenship and Immigration, Tourism, Culture and Sport and Community and Social Services. After the 2018 Ontario general election, Coteau was one of seven Liberals re-elected, and he subsequently ran in the 2020 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, placing second with 16.9% of the vote.[2]

Coteau resigned as from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on August 17, 2021 to run for his constituency's federal seat, vacated by Yasmin Ratansi, in the 44th Canadian general election.[3] He was elected with 59% of the vote.

Background

Coteau was born in Huddersfield, England. His father is from Carriacou, Grenada and his mother is from Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada with his parents in 1976 and grew up in social housing in Flemingdon Park in North York.[4] Coteau's family was low-income and he had to borrow the money needed to cover his university application fee from a friend's father.[5] He attended Carleton University and graduated with a degree in history and political science.[6]

After graduation, he taught English in South Korea.[7]

Career

Coteau was a Toronto District School Board Trustee for Ward 17, winning elections in 2003, 2006, and 2010.[6] As a trustee, he advocated for student nutrition, community use of space, and the use of educational technology.[6] He initiated the 'Community Use of Schools' motion that cut user fees and made schools more accessible to groups that offer programs for children.[6] He helped introduce nutritional changes in schools that supported healthy food programs and increased awareness of student hunger.[6] In addition to his work as a trustee, Coteau served as the executive director and chief executive officer of a national adult literacy firm, and worked as a community organizer in the Malvern area of Scarborough, Ontario with the United Way.[8] He also owned and operated his own small business.

Provincial politics

In 2011 he ran provincial election in the riding of Don Valley East. He won the election beating PC candidate Michael Lende by 7,645 votes.[9] He was re-elected in 2014.[10]

The Liberals won a minority government and Coteau was appointed as parliamentary assistant to the minister of tourism and culture. In 2013, after Kathleen Wynne replaced Dalton McGuinty as premier, Coteau was named Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.[11] He was one of ten members of the Wynne's cabinet with no prior cabinet experience.[12] In June 2014, Coteau was made Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport by Premier Kathleen Wynne, as well as Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.[13] He made headlines advocating for children to be able to play street hockey. On February 16, 2016, it was announced that Coteau would add responsibility for anti-racism, responsible for establishing various anti-racism programs.[14] On June 13, 2016, he was appointed Minister of Children and Youth Services, and in particular worked collaboratively with parents to deliver a reformed Ontario Autism Program.[15] He also was subsequently appointed Minister of Community and Social Services, holding down three separate portfolios for the government.

In 2018, Coteau defeated Conservative candidate Denzil Minnan Wong, Toronto's deputy mayor, to win his third election in the North Toronto constituency.[16]

In June 2019, Coteau entered the race for leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. Coteau said he had "a different vision" and would "restore decency to our politics".[17] At the leadership convention on March 7, 2020, he received 16.9% of the vote, finishing second behind the winner, Steven Del Duca.[18]

Federal politics

On August 10, 2021, Coteau was nominated as the federal Liberal candidate in Don Valley East, ahead of the next election. He was elected on September 20, 2021.

Cabinet positions

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalMichael Coteau22,35659.90+0.09$90,078.21
ConservativePenelope Williams8,76623.49–0.43$39,800.25
New DemocraticSimon Topp4,61812.37+1.38$10,191.25
People'sPeter De Marco1,5854.25+2.92none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 37,325100.00–$104,140.64
Total rejected ballots 4701.24+0.22
Turnout 37,79559.12–5.11
Eligible voters 63,934
Liberal hold Swing +0.26
Source: Elections Canada[19]
2018 Ontario general election: Don Valley East
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalMichael Coteau13,01235.93−22.80
Progressive ConservativeDenzil Minnan-Wong11,98433.09+8.75
New DemocraticKhalid Ahmed9,93727.44+15.48
GreenMark Wong9172.53−0.83
LibertarianJustin Robinson2360.65–
FreedomWayne Simmons1310.36–
Total valid votes 36,21799.08
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 3370.92
Turnout 36,55455.22
Eligible voters 66,192
Liberal hold Swing −15.78
Source: Elections Ontario[20][21]
2014 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalMichael Coteau19,25355.77+4.69
Progressive ConservativeAngela Kennedy9,22726.73-0.46
New DemocraticAkil Sadikali4,49213.01-5.59
GreenChristopher McLeod1,2643.66+1.47
FreedomWayne Simmons2870.83+0.48
Total valid votes 34,523100.0  
Liberal hold Swing +2.58
Source: Elections Ontario[10]
2011 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalMichael Coteau16,34251.08-4.54
Progressive ConservativeMichael Lende8,60426.89+1.86
New DemocraticBob Hilliard5,95318.61+7.95
GreenAren Bedrosyan7422.32-2.72
Family CoalitionRyan Kidd1880.59+0.03
FreedomWayne Simmons1640.51+0.23
Total valid votes 31,993100.00

References

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ @ONPARLeducation (13 July 2022). "Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
    2. ↑ "Former cabinet minister Steven Del Duca elected new Ontario Liberal leader".
    3. ↑ "Michael Coteau | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". 6 October 2011.
    4. ↑ Moodie, Jim (18 September 2019). "'I think I know how to win'". Sudbury Star. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
    5. ↑ Devoy, Desmond (19 November 2019). "'I am the Liberal story': MPP Michael Coteau brings leadership campaign to Perth". Perth Courier. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 "About - Michael Coteau". Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
    7. ↑ Benzie, Robert; Ferguson, Rob (21 November 2011). "Rookie MPPs poised to take their seats as legislature opens". The Guelph Mercury. p. B7.
    8. ↑ Peat, Don (6 October 2011). "Tories fail to break through in GTA". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
    9. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 6 October 2011. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
    10. 1 2 "General Election by District: Don Valley-East". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
    11. ↑ "Ontario's new cabinet". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, Ont. 12 February 2013. p. A3.
    12. ↑ Benzie, Robert (11 February 2013). "Wynne's Liberal cabinet to include 10 rookie ministers in sweeping shuffle". Toronto Star. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
    13. ↑ Richard Brennan; Robert Benzie; Rob Ferguson (24 June 2014). "Kathleen Wynne warns financial cupboard is bare". Toronto Star.
    14. ↑ "Ontario Establishing an Anti-Racism Directorate". Government of Ontario. 16 February 2016.
    15. ↑ "Kathleen Wynne's shuffled cabinet features 40% women". CBC News. 13 June 2016.
    16. ↑ "Liberals' veteran Michael Coteau defeats city councilor Denzil Minnan-Wong in Don Valley East". Toronto Star. 7 June 2018.
    17. ↑ "Michael Coteau enters race to lead Ontario Liberals". Toronto Star. 16 June 2019.
    18. ↑ Gibson, Victoria (7 March 2020). "Steven Del Duca named Ontario Liberal leader in first-ballot victory". iPolitics. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
    19. ↑ "September 20, 2021 General Election Results Validated by the Returning Officer". Elections Canada. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
    20. ↑ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
    21. ↑ https://results.elections.on.ca/en/publications
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